The power of sleep.

Mozart wore me out.  I am only now recovering after more than 24 hours.

He did not nap while at daycare on Tuesday.  The plan HAD been to swoop in, pick him up, have dinner and head to the Y.  There is free childcare on Tuesday nights, he loves it, and it give me some extra time at the gym for myself.

They say something about the best made plans...  I don't think they had what followed in mind.  I feel like what they had in mind would have been much more positive.

The daycare provider calls Mozart (and other kids) "ugly" when describing the behavior and nastiness that only toddlers can exhibit.  Well, lemme tell ya, he was UGLY on Tuesday.  It started when he wanted to stop by my office, which we do sometimes, but this was not in the schedule.  The screaming commenced.  And did not stop.  It continued all the way home, into the house, through a time out, and even past the time TW got home.  As I say, first it was the office NOW, then it was going to the Y NOW, certainly NOT going home for dinner, then it was having a snack NOW, with TV - and NOW!  The kid was just coming apart at the seams.  I decided, since the time out didn't work, we would try a time in.  This sometimes works when a kid feels so out of sorts.

It didn't.

Thank-fully, TW did come home early and put together his dinner.  By that time it was clear that he just needed to go to bed.  Somehow we got him to be calm enough to sit at the table.  And even got a laugh out of him every once in awhile - but the tantrum was constantly threatening.

I was frazzled, he was fragile, and we all needed a break.  TW brought out some elderberry syrup for him.  He was thrilled.  He loves the stuff, and says, "I do need my medicine!"  And so I asked him what kind of medicine he needs, thinking he's say something that referred to the syrup.  Instead I got a blank stare, and so, well... I told him he needed a tranquilizer.*  He repeated that very funny sounding word several times with some approximation to the proper pronunciation.  I tell you, it's funny to hear a kid say, "I need my tranquilizer now."  

After dinner he was brought up to bed and I got to get away to the gym for a bit.  He slept very soundly and was in a much better space yesterday!

* Just a note that while we joke that he needs a tranquilizer (sometimes a bear tranquilizer), we have never and will never give him such a thing!